Biological Warfare : a threat which we are ill-prepared Spread by Sahana V 06/16/2022 1
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1. Spread by Sahana V 4/20/2015 1
2. Several bacterial, viral agents and toxins- pose public
health risk- bioterrorist attack1 14th century- siege of ukraine2
Fort Pitt, Ohio river valley3 Anthrax- 1979, Soviet Union Anthrax,
botulinum and aflatoxin- 1995, Iraq 1. Bioterriorism: from threat
to reality.Atlas RM Annu Rev Microbiol. 2002; 56():167-85. 2.
Biological warfare. A historical perspective.Christopher GW,
Cieslak TJ, Pavlin JA, Eitzen EM Jr. JAMA. 1997 Aug 6;
278(5):412-7. 3. Wheelis M. Biological warfare before 1914. In:
Moon JE van Courtland., editor. Biological and toxin weapons:
Research, development, and use from the middle ages to 1945. Vol.
1. Stockholm, Sweden: Stockholm International Peace Research
Institute; 1991. pp. 834. 4/20/2015 2
3. 4. Why should we be concerned about biological warfare?.
Richard Danzig et al,. JAMA, Vol 278,No,5,pp. 431-432 Factors Easy
delivery Low visibility, high potency Recipes available on internet
Extremely Low- technology methods concealment, transportatio n
,disseminatio n easy 4/20/2015 3
6. 6 Types of pathogen Antipersonnel Anti-animal Anti-material
Anti-plant 4/20/2015
7. 7 Pathogen Contagious Lethal Mass killing Non-lethal
Economic Disruption Non- contagious Lethal Area Denial Non-lethal
Incapacitation 4/20/2015
8. Disease Pathogen Abused Anthrax Bacillus antracis (B) First
World War Second World War Soviet Union, 1979 Japan, 1995 USA, 2001
Botulism Clostridium botulinum (T) Plague Yersinia pestis (B)
Fourteenth-century Europe Second World War Smallpox Variola major
(V) Eighteenth-century N. America Tularemia Francisella tularensis
(B) Second World War 6. The history of biological warfare. EMBO
Rep. 2003 June; 4(Suppl 1): S47S52 4/20/2015 8
9. Agent Infective Dose (Aerosol) Incubation Period Diagnostic
Assay Chemotherap y Anthrax 8,000-50,000 spores 1-5 d Ag- ELISA
Ciproflaxin Doxycycline Penicillin Plaque 100-500 organisms 2-3 d
Ag-ELISA Chlorampheni col Q-fever 1-10 organisms 10-40 d ELISA
Tetracycline Small pox Assumed low 10-100 org 7-17 d ELISA,PCR,
Virus isolation Cidofovir 7. Clinical Recognition and management of
patients exposed to biological warfare agents. JAMA,
Vol,278,No5.1997.pp.399-411 4/20/2015 9
10. A release of 50 kg agent in an area with population 5
million Anthrax 250,000 cases -100,000 deaths Plague 150,000 cases
-36,000 deaths Tularemia 250,000 cases -19,000 deaths 4/20/2015
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11. 4/20/2015 11
12. Gram-positive, Endospore-forming, rod-shaped width of 11.2m
and a length of 35m Only obligate species on Bacillus 4/20/2015 12
6. The history of biological warfare. EMBO Rep. 2003 June; 4(Suppl
1): S47S52
14. 14 95% of all cases globally Incubation: 3-5 days (up to 12
days) Spores enter skin through open wound or abrasion Large skin
ulcer created Fever and malaise 5% - 20% mortality Untreated
septicemia and death. Cutaneous Severe gastroenteritis Incubation:
2-5 days after consumption of undercooked, contaminated meat Case
fatality rate: 25-75% Gastrointestinal Incubation: 1-7 days Phase
1: Nonspecific - Mild fever, malaise Phase 2: Severe respiratory
distress Cyanosis, death in 24-36 hours Case fatality: 75-90%
(untreated) Inhalational 4/20/2015
15. 15 Worst-case scenario (Office of Technology Assessment) 50
kg of spores Urban area of 5 million 250,000 cases of anthrax
100,000 deaths 100 kg of spores Upwind of Wash D.C. 130,000 to 3
million deaths 4/20/2015
16. 16 Vaccine available but effectiveness unproven in humans
(only monkeys) 5-35% experience systemic side effects No long-term
side effects proven Six shots plus annual booster required
Penicillin Has been the drug of choice Some strains resistant to
penicillin Ciprofloxacin Chosen as treatment of choice in 2001 No
strains known to be resistant 4/20/2015
17. Clostridium botulinum- Anaerobic bacteria Neurotoxins A to
G Incubation: 24 to 36 hrs 0.001 pg/kg of body weight 4/20/2015
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18. 4/20/2015 18
19. Vaccine : Every case of Foodborne botulism is treated as a
public health emergency. If antitoxin is needed, it can be quickly
delivered to a physician anywhere in the country. Skin should be
tested for hypersensitivity before equine antitoxin is given.
Mortality : Botulism can result in death due to respiratory
failure. In the last 50 years, patients who die from botulism have
dropped from 50% to 8%. 4/20/2015 19
20. Extreme neuro-specificity: BoNTs are being exploited in the
treatment of a myriad of neuromuscular disorders and for the
removal of facial wrinkles (BOTOX). 4/20/2015 20
21. 4/20/2015 21
22. 4/20/2015 22
23. Techniques Binary Biological Weapons Designer Genes Gene
Therapy 8. Genetically Engineered Bioweapons: A New Breed of
Weapons for Modern Warfare. Mackenzie Foley .Applied Sciences,
Winter 2013 / March 10, 2013 4/20/2015 23
24. The unfortunate fact remain that humans are often the most
sensitive or the only detectors of the biological attack.9 9.
Department of the Army, Navy and the Air Force NATO Handbook on the
medical aspects of NBC Defensive operations,1996. 4/20/2015 24
25. Not only human sample Powdery material, air/water samples
Sample preparation- hours to days Sample collection, handling,
transportation and preparation- vital Conventional culture
procedures- some virus or bacteria Minimum: 3-7 to 15 days Skilled
manpower No real time 4/20/2015 25
26. Detection in the field with limited or no instruments
Accurate Rapid 4/20/2015 26
27. Natural prevalence of the disease Becton Dickinson (USA) ,
Vitek (BioMerieux) and Microlog (USA) Pure culture and trained
manpower Biochemical test based assays Luciferin- luciferase
interaction Quality control- bacterial contamination ATP
contamination from non-microbial source Non-specific First line
defence Bioluminescence based detection 4/20/2015 27
28. 10. Immunoassay of infectious agents.Andreotti PE, Ludwig
GV, Peruski AH, Tuite JJ, Morse SS, Peruski LF Jr Biotechniques.
2003 Oct; 35(4):850-9. 11. A review of molecular recognition
technologies for detection of biological threat agents.Iqbal SS,
Mayo MW, Bruno JG, Bronk BV, Batt CA, Chambers JP Biosens
Bioelectron. 2000; 15(11-12):549-78. ELISA based Quality of antigen
or antibody11 Different substrate label i.e, fluroscent,
chemiluminescent and different platforms like ELISA plate, Visual
dot and lateral flow format Only one agent at a time Antigen-
Antibody10 Q-PCR assays-probes for all the agents Software:
Monitors the progress and presence detected online on a monitor
Data transferred over long distance Variation with nucleic acids,
availability of starting material Inhibitory substances,
specificity and sensitivity of primers, probes and enzymes used
Nucleic acid based 4/20/2015 28
29. DRDE, Gwalior- Toxicology and biochemical pharmacology
nanotechnology-based sensors unmanned robot-operated aerial and
ground vehicles fitted with NBC detection sensors HSADL, Bhopal-
animal diseases such as avian influenza, Nipah virus infection,
rabbit haemorrhagic fever, and swine flu. 4/20/2015 29